A few people have asked me what Raylee would like for Christmas, and I've seen even more mamas asking what they should get their toddlers for Christmas. I do not have any difficulty coming up with toddler gift ideas for my little one. I have too many ideas, actually! So I created this toddler gift ideas list just for those of you who struggle in this area. This Christmas, Raylee will be 21 months old, just a few months short of two. She is a full toddler at this point. She loves books and learning and trying out all the things. Her vocabulary is expanding every day. So this list was created Continue Reading
What New Mamas Really Want for Mother’s Day
I recently saw a post about things that moms want for Mother's Day. And it was a joke! I do not want a pair of designer sunglasses. Don't buy me a purse or a candle. Nope. As a new mama, I can tell you what moms really want for Mother's Day. Or at least these are the things I want! Mother's Day Gifts for New Mamas 1. Sleep. New mamas get no more than three consecutive hours of sleep at a time for at least a month. Isn't that considered torture to wake someone up constantly so they never get a good night's sleep? I feel like I saw that on an episode of Criminal Minds. Sleep deprivation is Continue Reading
My Favorite Gifts for Pregnancy
If I was to retake the love languages test, I wouldn't be surprised if gifts had moved up on my list. I get really excited for giving gifts that I know someone will like/love/need/want, and I definitely don't turn down a good gift either. With a baby on the way, I've gotten several gifts throughout the months. And these are my top four favorite things that I have received -- not things that are for baby necessarily, but feel like they are more for me. Perhaps you are wanting to get something sweet for someone you know who is expecting? Check out my favorite gifts for pregnancy in this post, Continue Reading
The Perfect Gift for the Child with a Deployed Parent
With our little girl just a few months away from arriving, my heart goes out to those women who are giving birth without their husbands. The fact is that many service members do not get to be there for the births of their children because of deployment. I think of the many children who will miss their mommies and daddies this Christmas because they are serving overseas. I hope and pray that Travis doesn't get deployed so that he won't miss a moment with our princess. For those who are away, though, I've found a great gift for them to give to their little ones waiting back home. Every child Continue Reading
Father’s Day Gift Ideas
A greeting card with a gift card tucked inside -- that's what a I get my dad for Father's Day every single year. Although I know he uses the gift cards and appreciates the gift, I don't feel like I'm being very thoughtful or creative. Buying gifts for my dad is just hard. I know my dad enjoys mowing the lawn and working with tools. He loves washing his truck and watching the same movie a million times. But as far as things he would like as a gift? I'm just not sure. Not sure what he already has. Not sure what he'll actually use. Perhaps you are in the same boat. Is your dad tough to buy Continue Reading
A Game to Strengthen Your Marriage
I'm teaming up with DaySpring to talk about strengthening marriages. They are offering a giveaway to my readers because they value marriage as much as I do. Be sure to read all the way to the end because we've got a giveaway and a promo code just for you guys! If there's one thing I learned last year while Travis was stationed in Korea it's how important it is to strengthen your marriage in any way you can. Being long distance put an incredible strain on our marriage, and I'm so thankful that God got us through and we survived. Today, Travis and I are celebrating our three-year wedding Continue Reading
A Holiday Gift Guide for Bloggers
I've been a blogger for ... jeez, how many years now? I think I started my first blog in 2010 and moved to Seeing Sunshine in 2012. So I'm going on six years of blogging. Over that time, I've figured out what helps me with my blog and some things that I would love to have for my blogging "career." Do you have a friend who's a blogger? Or perhaps someone trying to get into the blogging world? This is my list of gift ideas for bloggers. Blogging Holiday Gift Guide Coschedule I just recently started my free trial of Coschedule -- you can get a 14-day free trial to see if you like it Continue Reading
Gift Ideas for New Homeowners
Travis and I bought a house at the beginning of this year. I've been living there and slowly fixing the place up since March. In those nine months of being a homeowner, I have discovered so many things I wish we had. Travis and I have talked about all the things we'd like to have as homeowners -- practical items that will come in handy as we fix up this home and even build our own home someday. As new homeowners ourselves, we thought it would only make sense to share these items with you as gift ideas for your friends and family who are new homeowners. Almost all of these items are on Travis' Continue Reading
“Blue Without You” Care Package
I had so much fun making a baseball-themed care package and a Fourth of July care package for Travis while he lives in South Korea. I've been looking forward to the next box I could send. I definitely miss Travis -- like a lot. So this care package seemed perfect. I really have been feeling blue without my hubby! When you open the box, it says "I'm so BLUE ... without YOU!" It's really simple to decorate and fill this box. I used blue scrapbook paper to cover the box and white sticker letters for the phrase. I included two blue ribbon bows to add a little something extra and fun to the Continue Reading
Wedding Vow Art
My husband and I wrote our own vows for our wedding. It was something I really wanted to do, and I think we are both so glad that we did it. I love that they were written from the heart and very personal. We wrote our vows separately and didn't hear each other's until our wedding ceremony. It made it even more special! After our wedding, I knew I wanted to create something with our wedding vows to display in our home. I wanted to be reminded of those vows often. I also loved our wedding photos. We had a great photographer, and I figured I could display our wedding vows using our wedding Continue Reading
Fourth of July Care Package
Every day is Independence Day in America. But we celebrate it on July 4th with barbecues, boating, homemade ice cream, fireworks, and a whole lot of red, white, and blue. As far as I can remember, Travis and I have only spent one or maybe two of these holidays together. Knowing we wouldn't be together this year, I wanted to send him something special for one of his favorite holidays. I put together a Fourth of July Care Package complete with everything red, white, and blue. Here's what was in his care package and other ideas for your own care package! I loved decorating this box Continue Reading
Baseball Themed Care Package
Travis and I are celebrating our second wedding anniversary this month. Of course, we are celebrating while being 7,000 miles apart, which can make it a little tricky. This year, I wanted to put my care package skills to the test and create something awesome for Travis to open as an anniversary gift. My husband loves baseball. He's played the game since he was a kid, and he loves to watch it too. He's on a post-wide softball team in Korea, and I have no doubt that someday he will be a baseball coach for our own children. So a baseball themed care package was a perfect fit for my man. I Continue Reading